A Guide to Choosing a Psychologist in Thailand – Types, Approaches & Services

Taking action to preserve and boost your psychological health is good for your overall health. At one point or another, every human being struggles with overwhelming emotions, thoughts, and pain be it from family, school, or work. Working with a psychologist will provide you with the tools to cope with or overcome your mental struggles and give you a fresh perspective on life as a whole.
This guide aims to provide the fundamentals however before making any commitment to choosing or working with a psychologist we encourage anyone looking for more information to book a free initial consultation call to discuss your individual needs and specific requirements

Types of Psychologists in Thailand

When you looking for psychologists in Thailand it is important to note that you may encounter one who is only registered in general psychology or specialised in a specific field of practice whether that be medicine (prescribing psychologist) or counselling (counselling psychologist) Different types of psychologists include:

• Clinical psychologists – Clinical psychologists in Thailand often work within hospital settings with specialisations in human behaviour and mental health diagnosis and treatment. They often work alongside psychiatrists in assessing and diagnosing mental illnesses and psychological issues and are certified to offer guidance in medical and indemnification areas.
• Clinical neuropsychologists- trained to examine brain abnormalities that impair memory, learning, and other processes, diagnose them, and arrange treatments
• Counselling psychologists – Provide several therapy strategies and approaches tailored to each client’s unique requirements and situation and assist clients in changing their perspective on life, leading to desirable changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviour such as trauma, major life changes, developmental issues, relationship issues, domestic violence, sexual assault, eating disorders, sexual orientation, etc.
• Other types of psychologists include community psychologists, forensic psychologists, sports and exercise psychologists, and educational and developmental psychologists.
  All psychologists in Thailand use techniques verified by science and work with clients in safe spaces where they can confidently express their fears and feelings and work through them. They value your confidentiality and will address any questions about the few occasions when you must reveal private information.

Choosing the Right Psychologist in Thailand for Counselling & Psychotherapy Services

An experienced counselling psychologist provides help without making judgments. If you are seeking for a psychologist in Thailand, here are the things to focus on: Before engaging in counselling psychology services here are some things to consider:

Personality Fit

In addition to knowledge and experience finding a psychologist with whom you trust and feel comfortable with is arguably the most important of all the criteria in the selection process. Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of a strong client-therapist relationship.

Constructive and supportive client-therapist-counsellor-psychologist relationships are founded on several things, such as:

• Personalities: You want good rapport, not friendship, with your psychologist. They have to remain objective when providing guidance.
• Trust: You should feel extremely free to open up to your psychologist about your worries, emotions, and behaviour, even if doing so makes you uneasy.
• Positive communication: A psychologist should use encouraging language, which means being warm and positive when pointing out your growth areas.
• Same gender or areas of specialist knowledge. you might want to look for a psychologist or counsellor based on preferred gender or acquainted with your identity and sexuality such as LGBTQ+, teen counselling, trauma or PTSD.

Psychologists in Thailand Specialising in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy

Counselling psychologists practicing in Thailand combine counselling and psychotherapy. Both of these can help work through your emotions, whether they be ones you desire to change, connect with, or investigate. This could involve, for instance, coping with a loss, a health issue, a problematic relationship, accepting your identity, and so forth. By attending counselling sessions, you’ll receive professional guidance to accomplish this in a supportive environment.

Another benefit of working with a counselling psychologist is personal growth, allowing you to cope of overcome with multiple issues or problems. For example, if you observe any recurring patterns in your everyday life, you might want to resolve them, or you might want to carve out some time for yourself to develop self-reliance.

What is the Difference Between a Psychiatrist and a Psychologist?

Psychiatrists and psychologists are often confused with one another. While both deal with matters involving the brain, emotions, and feelings, psychiatrists are medical doctors and can prescribe medication, whereas usually psychologists in Thailand cannot unless they work in a hospital licensed by the Thai Ministry of Public Health. under the supervision of a licensed psychiatrist / medical doctor. These types of Psychologists working in such institutions are usually permitted to to assist with or carry out psychological evaluations and psychiatric assessments.

Psychiatrists assess and treat complex and chronic mental illnesses whereas many private independent psychologists specialise on helping clients through counselling and psychotherapy.